Worth the Effort
by hope813
Summary: Finn panics while trying to decide on the perfect gift for Rachel for Valentine's Day. Their first Valentine's Day together. Romance and humor are coming your way! This is a follow-up to my story, "Baby, It's Cold Outside," but may be enjoyed separately.
1. Chapter One: Panic and Priorities

**Author's Note****:** Since this story follows my fic, Baby, It's Cold Outside, I did include some background information from the first story in case you did not read it or need your memory refreshed. _However_, the stories may be enjoyed separately or read out of order. Also, since Baby, It's Cold Outside was from Rachel's point of view and now we are seeing Finn's, you will see some of what he was thinking during the events of the last story. There will be much more dialogue in future chapters. This is for elimaru, who provided me with this prompt. Thanks again, to alifab for reading and offering feedback. Speaking of feedback, reviews keep me motivated. Yes, I am shameless. Thanks for reading!

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**Worth the Effort**

Finn Hudson was a dead man. If he didn't figure something out and quickly, his girlfriend would kill surely him. Taking a steadying breath, he told himself that he was just overreacting. How hard could coming up with the perfect gift be, anyway? The perfect gift for Rachel...the most demanding, complicated girl on the planet.

Well, he'd lived a pretty good life, so maybe he should just accept the fact that he'd never see his seventeenth birthday.

He glanced to his right and saw Rachel's hand gliding across the page of her notebook as their teacher droned on. And on. Sensing his gaze, Rachel turned to give him a quick smile and one of _those_looks. Finn still couldn't understand how Rachel could be so innocent and so smokin' hot at the same time.

"Finn," she hissed in warning when she saw that his page was completely blank. Finn shrugged and let his gaze wander down to her thighs, partially exposed by her tiny plaid skirt. His eyes met hers, his message clear: i_t's all your fault that I can't focus. Now you'll have to deal with the consequences._ She huffed in irritation, but he could swear that her legs spread, just a bit. Finn blinked. His mind must be playing tricks on him now. God, he was such a perv. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he imagined what color underwear she was wearing, hoping that he'd find out later. Well, at least he was a happy perv.

Things had been going well, _very well_, in the two months since they'd started dating. He'd known from the beginning that being with Rachel was a gamble. They were so different: he was easy-going and she was high-strung. He was popular and she was, well, _wasn't_. She was incredibly smart and he, well, _wasn't_.

Even with all their differences, Rachel had pulled him in from the start. Okay, so _maybe_ he'd started looking over his shoulder to make sure that she wasn't following him, but only for the first week after joining glee club. Two weeks, tops. Somehow, though, things had shifted from Finn worrying that Rachel was obsessed with him to being afraid he might be _thisclose_ to stalking her. He hadn't hidden behind trees outside her house or anything, but he just couldn't get Rachel out of his head. Was mental stalking even a thing? During those last months with Quinn, Rachel had been the one starring in his dreams. While he hadn't always been able to remember the details, Finn was pretty sure that his sudden fascination with Rachel's knee socks had been a result.

While he'd tried to fight the changes that had suddenly taken over his life, glee club made it impossible. Back when he'd been completely freaked-out by his feelings for Rachel and constantly fighting with his pregnant girlfriend, the music had helped him to forget. Singing with Rachel had become completely addictive, like overloading on Doritos and Red Bull. Finn knew he'd feel crappy in the morning, but it was always totally worth it. It was like a string had been tied around his heart with Rachel grasping the other end. Slowly, she had pulled him closer and closer, until every inch had been wrapped tightly around her little finger. He'd been able to forget everything--and _everyone_--except for the girl holding his heart on a string.

After his break-up with Quinn, he'd avoided Rachel. Finn had been unable to face her knowing that every time he'd hurt her, every time he'd walked away, had all been because of a lie. Once the bitterness had started to fade, Finn realized that by pushing Rachel away, he'd just hurt them both even more. Since she had all but stopped speaking to him by then, he'd come up with a plan to win Rachel's forgiveness. After he'd arranged the picnic for them on the auditorium stage, she'd given him a second chance. Rachel later told him that recreating the moment of their first kiss had been "the most romantic thing she could have imagined."

So, yeah. He didn't have _too_ much to live up to now. How could he have known that he'd be forced to up his game for every birthday or holiday afterward? Besides, he'd copied the picnic idea from her in the first place! He couldn't just steal another of Rachel's ideas for her own Valentine's gift. Could he?

"Finn Hudson? Have you slipped into a coma or has my lecture simply bored you into a semi-conscious state?"

Blinking rapidly, he focused on the clearly annoyed teacher standing right in front of him. "Um..." _Think, Hudson_.

"I'd like to apologize on Finn's behalf, Mrs. Harris. We had a late glee club rehearsal last night in order to prepare for Regionals," Rachel shot Finn a look from the corner of her eye, silently encouraging him to play along. He pasted a pitiful puppy dog log upon his face and nodded. "Poor Finn had to come to rehearsal straight from basketball practice. He's the captain of both teams, you know."

"Glee Co-captain," he added automatically.

Rachel flashed him a grin before rushing back to his defense. "Well, after such a long day at school, Finn first had to start his homework. Well...I am sure that I do not need to explain to you that teenagers today have very rigorous schedules that make it nearly impossible to live up to the expectations set by society. Not to mention those of our parents and teachers."

Mrs. Harris's brow crinkled, clearly trying to figure out whether or not she'd just been insulted. He knew the feeling.

"Of course," Rachel continued, her voice turning firm. "I make no excuses for such unacceptable classroom decorum. I just wanted you to understand the pressures that contributed to such a momentary lapse."

Mrs. Harris opened her mouth to respond before pausing, probably afraid that Rachel would interrupt if she tried to get a word in. She cleared her throat. "Finn? Anything you'd like to add?"

"Pretty much what she said," he answered, adding a lopsided smile. Mrs. Harris moved her gaze from him to Rachel and back again. Then, rolling her eyes, she marched back to the front of the classroom. He sent Rachel a look of thanks. She shook her head at him, but her twitching lips let him know that she wasn't really annoyed.

As he stared at the notes on white board, his mind was drawn back to the girl beside him. He still found it kind of amazing how..._easy_...it had been to move from being friends with Rachel to something more. When he'd mentioned this to her, Rachel had reminded him that they'd _always_ been something more. Still, he'd expected their relationship to be hard work; he'd gotten used to trying to be what everyone else expected. Finn had spent weeks trying to be the perfect boyfriend, searching for any sign from Rachel that he'd screwed up. Finally, Rachel had told him that that all she wanted was Finn Hudson, just as he was. So, things were surprisingly simple.

Okay, it still bugged Finn when the other jocks harassed him for dating that "Glee Freak with the Tiny Skirt and the Big Mouth," but he could deal with that. It was watching the pain on Rachel's face before she masked it that killed him. Seeing his struggle, she had told Finn to just ignore them; bullies only picked on people when it clearly bothered them. Knowing that Rachel was usually right and had more experience in this area, Finn had ignored them.

Until last Thursday.

After glee rehearsal, he and Rachel had walked hand-in-hand to his locker. Taped inside, he'd found a picture of Rachel that had clearly been photoshopped. Her grinning face had been stuck onto the body of a magazine ad of some naked, pregnant lady, with her arms wrapped around herself, covering her private parts. Underneath the picture, hastily scribbled words had been written: _"Watch it, Choir Boy. You're not man enough, so one of us will do the job for you. Again."_ The team had gathered together in the hallway, waiting for his reaction.

Finn had felt Rachel tugging on his arm, whispering that it was not worth a fight. He'd glanced down, meeting her eyes. Seeing the tears she'd tried to hold back, everything surrounding Finn immediately ground to a halt. He had no longer been able to hear laughter of his teammates or see their smirks. _They'd made Rachel cry._ Every thought, every shred of control had been drowned out, replaced by an unstoppable instinct to make that bastard bleed. Finn had launched himself straight at Azimio, the 275-pound offensive tackle called "The Wall."

He'd learned the hard way that ten against one were poor odds.

Swinging into action, Rachel had pulled the fire alarm. Once everyone had fled, she took him to her house. Holding a bag of frozen peas against his throbbing eye and another on his swollen, skinned fist, Rachel had stroked his cheek (the unbruised one) and lectured him on "the cycle of unnecessary violence." Frustrated, he'd asked: "How can you be so calm when people treat you like that?"

"It's not easy and it hurts," she'd admitted. He'd stared at her with his one good eye until she'd sighed. "Okay, it hurts _a lot_." Then she'd gotten this wicked look in her eyes. "I remind myself that the best revenge will come later. I'll be performing for sold-out crowds all over the world, and they'll still be living with their parents and pumping gas in Lima."

While his former friends still tried to get a rise out of him, Finn just clenched his jaw and clung to Rachel's words. And her hand. She may not know it yet, but her plan for the future had become his. He had no idea what he wanted to do to pay the bills, but Finn knew that his job would have to give him plenty of time to travel. There was no way he was going to miss seeing her kick some international ass!

Still, the future seemed so far into, well,_ the future_. Most of the time, Finn was happy with his life right now. He sighed, glancing at the clock, counting down the minutes until the bell. He'd be much, much happier with his life in about seven minutes. Then, there would be hours of freedom, and he could finally be alone with Rachel. Having class together didn't count; he wasn't even allowed to look at her, anymore. She'd told him that she couldn't concentrate knowing he was thinking about "more private matters." But who could blame him if his eyes wandered over in her direction? Finn was sure that no one would rather stare at Mrs. Harris over Rachel, not even _Mr._ Harris. Their teacher was nice enough, but side-burns didn't do it for him.

Finn sighed when Rachel kicked him under the table, his eyes immediately returning to the front of the classroom. He was too distracted to concentrate, knowing that in seven--no, six minutes--he'd be dragging Rachel through the hallway and out the door as quickly as her short legs would carry her. It was Wednesday; the one day a week he didn't have practice or glee rehearsal. Luckily, their parents all worked so, until six o'clock, they had Rachel's house to themselves. His mom worked the night shift at the diner, so after six, they'd usually leave Rachel's house and go to his. Finn still couldn't believe that no one had caught onto this scam yet. Their parents actually seemed to believe that they had six hours of homework every night. He and Rachel hadn't actually doneit yet, but Finn had never gotten this much action in his life. He felt his lips curve, thinking about how she'd jumped him yesterday before he even shut his bedroom door. Sometimes he thought that she might even want to do it more than he did. Then he realized that it was impossible for anyone to want sex more than a teenage guy. It was, like, science.

Finn bit back a groan. Clearly, he couldn't focus on anything other than getting Rachel out of her sweater. _Come on, Hudson!_ Rachel was always talking about the importance of priorities. Finding his girlfriend the perfect gift for their first Valentine's Day together was his number one priority. Time alone with Rachel would just have to wait.

The bell sounded, pulling Finn from his thoughts. He turned to see Rachel arching a brow at him. "Finn, you really must take your education more seriously. There is a time for work and a time for play," she clicked her tongue. Rachel rose and leaned forward, her lips nearly grazing his ear. "Ready for playtime?"

Priorities were totally over-rated.

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**Coming Soon:**_** Chapter Two: Getting a Clue**_


	2. Chapter Two: Getting a Clue

**Author's Note:** In which I thank you again for reading and ask nicely (or beg) for your reviews.

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**Worth the Effort Chapter Two: Getting a Clue**

"Um...Rach?"

"Yeah?"

"If...if you were a _color_, what color would you be?"

At this, she removed her lips from his neck and sat back on her knees. She blinked, clearly thrown off by the question. Or maybe it was the fact that he was trying to start a conversation while her hand had been quickly running down his body. "Finn, what are you talking about?"

Feeing like a moron, but knowing he had to get some clues about what she might like for Valentine's Day, he continued. "Well. I know that pink is, like, your _favorite_ color, but would you say it best...um...what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Represents?"

"Right! What color best represents you?" He gave her an encouraging grin. She was still looking at him like he'd lost a few brain cells, but he was desperate!

"So...this is a philosophical question?" Rachel asked, her left brow arching.

Huh? "Yeah, totally," he hastily replied. _Go with it, man._

Well, at least she appeared to be taking the question seriously. And no longer seemed concerned for his sanity. Bonus! "Well, I need to think this through." Rachel sat back on the bed, buttoning up her crisp white shirt. No, no, no! What kind of idiot stops an awesome make-out session with his hot girlfriend to talk about _colors_? Damn it. "Colors do say a lot about a person's mood. There have been many studies on the subject. It's called color psychology."

"Uh-huh..."

"While I do love pink," she said, sending him a warm smile, "I wouldn't necessarily say it best represents me. Not all the time. Some days, I feel very pink--cheerful, upbeat, feminine. Other times, I closely identify with blue. Blue stimulates creativity, clarity, and control."

Blue _and_ pink. Okay...he could work with that. "Then," she continued, "there is yellow. Yellow is energy, optimism, and also promotes good judgement. I like to think that I have my fair share of yellow days." His thoughts flashed back to Rachel, singing in a bright yellow dress, looking like a ray of sunshine as she sang that mash-up of "Halo" and "Walking on--" _oh!_ Now he got it! "And green--" Okay, this was so not helping. Apparently, Rachel was a rainbow. Not very useful information for possible gift ideas. "Since I am driven by emotion, I would say that every color represents a different aspect of my personality." She nodded, clearly pleased with her self-analysis. "Finn?"

He pasted a grin on his face. "Totally. That makes sense." What a bust! Still...there was a girl with a totally rockin' body sitting next to him _in_ _bed_, so he would just have to make the best of it. He eyed Rachel, smirking, and patted the spot next to him. "And since you are driven by emotion..." he added, letting his words hang in the air.

While it didn't happen often, Finn loved that he could still make her blush--like she was right now. Rachel crawled back over and touched her lips to his, very slowly. Groaning, he flipped her over. He wasn't in the mood for slow. Expertly unbuttoning her shirt (she'd made him practice after tearing the buttons off four others), he moved his hands down her perfectly smooth shoulders. Impatient--Rachel was usually impatient--she grabbed the back of his head, silently demanding his lips. Finn pulled back and tore off his shirt. Looking down at Rachel's fluttering eyelids and flushed cheeks, Finn felt his chest tighten. He leaned down, his lips returning to hers, his hands continuing their exploration.

"Um...Rach?"

"Yeah?"

"If you were a piece of _jewelry_..."

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"Finn? You're home early."

"Hey, Mom." He sighed, tossed his backpack next to the couch, and plopped down.

"Is everything okay?"

"Um...yeah, why?" How did his mom always know? Rachel could always read him, too. It still kind of freaked him out. It had to be like chick ESP or something.

She sat down beside him and tilted her head. "Because you never come home from Rachel's before I leave for work. When you do come home, she's with you."

Busted! So much for their scam. "Why do you think that I bring Rachel home with me?" He would admit nothing.

"When I get home from work, the dishes are always done." He could tell that she was trying to keep from laughing.

He hung his head. The dishes! His mom would never believe that he'd been doing them. But, wait... "So, you knew that Rachel was here every night? You're okay with that?" He turned red, realizing what she must think. "Mom, we haven't..._you know_. I mean, I totally want to...but oh God!" His eyes widened. Had he just told his mom that he wanted _sex?_

His mother just sighed. "Finn, as much as I'd like for you to be my baby forever, you're growing up. The truth is that a few months ago, I would not have been comfortable with you being alone with a girl in the house." She rolled her eyes. "I would have panicked, actually. But, so many things have changed since then. First, I thought that you were going to be a father. Then it seemed too late to worry about you being alone with a girl. I was worrying about your future instead." A sad smile formed on her lips. "After the truth came out, I worried less about the future and more about how you'd be when you woke up every morning. I prayed every night for my son to be all right. I prayed that you would be happy and whole again. Finn...I wished that I could make it all go away. I promised myself, God, the Man in the Moon, and anyone else who might be listening, that I would do anything just to see you smile again." She sniffed, tears clouding her eyes. "And one day, you did. You came home, grinning ear-to-ear and said: 'Mom, Rachel said yes.' Just like that." She ran her hand across his cheek.

Wow. He'd never really stopped to think what his mom had gone through after the baby drama. He leaned in and wrapped her tightly in his arms. "Thanks, Mom." He rocked her briefly, mimicking the movement she'd used to comfort him as a child. She pulled back and gave him a quick kiss. "Thanks for trusting me," he added.

Her brows shot up. "You're a teenage boy! I trust _her_."

Finn's mouth dropped open in shock. Suddenly, his mother's shoulders began to shake. "Ha, ha, Mom."

"You--you should have seen your face!" She wiped the tears from her eyes as she struggled to control her laughter. Finn just stared at her, waiting for her to finish mocking him. Turning serious, she continued. "I do trust you, Finn. After everything you've been through, I trust that you will use good judgement and, when the time comes, you'll be careful."

Finn blew out a breath. That was for sure! He might even wear _two_ condoms when he and Rachel finally did it. Huh...he wondered if that might help with _arriving early_, too. Damn it, he had bigger problems! If he didn't figure out what to get Rachel, he could practically guarantee his virgin status until he graduated college.

"So, what happened with Rachel?"

"How do you _do_ that?" he demanded.

"You're here; she's not. Not a difficult case to crack."

"She got kind of annoyed with me for not being able to--" he froze. _Control the word vomit this time, Hudson_. "Um, concentrate."

"Oh, well, Rachel is very dedicated," she said. "I'm sure if you agreed to pay more attention to her needs, then you'd both be much happier."

Finn almost choked. Well, he supposed it was good advice, either way you looked at it. "No," he said, clearing his throat. "I couldn't, um, focus, because I was too worried about what to get her for Valentine's Day. I tried to get Rachel to give me some clues, but...yeah. That didn't go over very well. She just thought I wasn't paying attention to her."

"Well, why don't you ask a friend for some suggestions?"

Finn flung himself backward against the couch, covering his face with both hands. "I tried that. I asked this guy, Kurt, from glee club for help. It kind of wasn't the best plan."

"Why not?"

"He said that I should get Rachel a personality adjustment, but that it might be hard since they don't sell them at The Sharper Image." Finn lowered his hands and looked at his mother.

"Ouch," she replied, making a face. "I take it that Kurt is not a fan of Rachel's?"

"Um...no. I kind of forgot about that because I was so desperate. Then, he said to buy her a new wardrobe. That was his serious suggestion. So, I kind of went off about how he needs to give Rachel a break and that I like how she dresses."

"And what did Kurt say?" She leaned forward, clearly interested.

"He said that I was totally hopeless. Then, he thanked me, saying that I'd killed his crush for good." Seeing that his mother was going to chime in, he beat her to it. "Don't ask."

"Okay, then. Back to this problem..." She leaned back against the couch, her head turned toward his. "You do know that Rachel will love anything, as long as it's from you, right?"

"Moooom," he whined. "That is such a Mom answer. She deserves something awesome, okay?" He groaned. "I just can't mess up again. I just..._can't_."

His mother simply stared at him, making Finn want to squirm. She released a deep breath. "Okay, then. What would blow Rachel away?" Before he could respond, she jumped back in. "And I don't mean what would cost the most. It's all about you doing something above and beyond to show her how much you care. Something unexpected. Something special that she'll remember."

Finn's brows lowered. Unexpected. Special. Something that she'll remember. His lips slowly turned upward. "So, Mom," he started, offering his most winning grin. "Just how _much_ do you trust me?"

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**Author's Note #2:**_ Don't you hate me for ending the chapter there? Let me know what you think! __Coming Next: Chapter Three: V-Day!_


	3. Chapter Three: VDay

**Author's Note:** Here is the final chapter! I hope that you enjoyed the story. Thanks so much to all of my reviewers. The feedback really does inspire me to keep writing. Special thanks to alifab for looking over this chapter! Also, I am trying to decide on my next story, so if anyone has ideas, requests, or prompts, leave a review and let me know. No promises, but suggestions are welcome. Finn/Rachel only, in case that was unclear. ; )

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**Chapter Three: V-Day**

"Finn? Are you okay?" Rachel tilted her head. "You've been so quiet."

He flashed her a half-grin, feeling totally anxious and doing a piss-poor job of hiding it. "No, I'm fine." Rachel lifted a brow. "Just, you know, nervous, I guess."

Rachel reached across the table and took his big bear paw in her tiny hand. "Why are you nervous?" Clearly concerned, her smile faded. "You can tell me anything."

_Way to kill the mood, man._ "I just really want you to have a good time, and I sort of psyched myself out, I guess." While it was the truth, Finn knew that he wouldn't be able to relax until she opened her gift. Valentine's Day was totally a big deal to girls and he wanted--_no, needed_--for everything to be perfect. Things with Rachel were great--amazing, really. Still, Finn knew, better than anyone, how quickly life can take a turn. While it had taken time, he knew that he'd finally gotten over his last disaster of a relationship, but it had left him scarred. Together, he and Rachel were happy--disgustingly happy, as Mercedes would say. Every now and then, though, he couldn't help worrying. He remembered the complete wreck he'd been after his break-up with Quinn. Knowing that he'd never felt for anyone what he felt for Rachel, Finn was terrified about what would happen if something went wrong.

"Finn, I'm having a great time." Her eyes locked on his. "Honest," she added. Finn released the breath he'd been holding...he sort of felt like he'd been holding it since the minute he'd picked her up. They'd been out to dinner before, but he'd wanted tonight to be special and Arby's just wasn't going to cut it. He may not be able to afford the best, but he had some money left over his old part-time job. So, he'd made dinner reservations for the first time in his life and took Rachel to Martinelli's, a nice little Italian place with real table cloths and candles. And, where it seemed, that they were the only couple under fifty.

Trying to control his nerves, Finn dug into his jacket pocket and handed Rachel an envelope. She beamed at him and carefully slid her finger under the seal as if afraid to rip it. He figured she wanted to keep it. Keeping a card he could understand, but an envelope? She glanced up at him, tilted her head and shrugged, as if reading his mind. She'd told him that she was a little bit psychic, so maybe she really _could_ read his mind. If that was true, then he was in big trouble and would just have to stop thinking whenever they made out. Or sang together. Or when she walked in front of him. Or behind him. Or when he was at home alone in bed at night, wondering what _she_ was doing at home alone in bed at night.

He chanced a look at Rachel, but she was too busy reading the card and not paying him the least bit of attention. This made Finn reasonably sure that she couldn't read minds; she'd have probably slapped him by now otherwise. Still, if Rachel had taught him anything while helping him with Chemistry homework, it was that you always had to test your theories. He steadied his gaze on Rachel and began to think. Hard. _You have the most incredible butt I've ever seen. Thinking about you in your tiny skirts and knee socks get me ridiculously hard. Thinking about you taking them off makes me explode. _Hmm, still nothing. He breathed a sigh of relief. _I love you._

Her eyes met his.

His breath caught. Had she actually heard him? Rachel's eyes widened and her lips started trembling. _Way to go, moron._ It was too soon and he'd freaked her out. "Rach--"

Like a shot, she was out of her chair and in his lap. He blinked. How the hell had she moved so fast, anyway?

"Finn, the card is so beautiful. Thank you." _Okay, so the psychic thing is out. _Her lips crushed into his and he eagerly responded. Well, if a card made her this happy, he wondered how she'd feel about her present.

While Finn would have been thrilled to take this unexpected make-out session further, he pulled back as he felt a sudden dampness on his check. "Hey." He lifted her chin to see her face, slightly thrown-off balance by the tears running down her face. Of course Finn was used to an emotional Rachel. The diva-driven storm-outs and uncomfortable, in-your-face truths were what made Rachel, well, _Rachel_. But a teary Rachel? While he was pretty sure he'd been the cause of some of her tears, he'd never actually seen them. It tore at his heart. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry. Just tell me and I'll fix it." He was starting to panic now. How could he have messed up without even knowing it? Finn's eyes widened in alarm as he realized that some of the big-haired ladies and balding men at the surrounding tables were sending him accusing looks. They could tell that he'd blown it, too!

"No, no," Rachel rushed to assure him. "I'm just happy." She wiped furiously at her tears. "I cannot believe that I've become such a cliché. I mean, crying because I'm happy? It is totally ridiculous, and I've always thought myself above such irrational, stereotypical female displays." She shook her head at her own foolishness. "As silly as it is, that's all there is to it. You took the time to write a beautiful, heartfelt note and it made me happy. _You_ make me happy."

Looking into her eyes, she took his breath away. God, he was totally thinking like a girl now! He needed to get a hold of himself; he definitely could not pull of the whole emo thing. Then she smiled. _Ah, screw it._ "I have no idea what I want to do after school, you know?" She nodded, her brows drawing together, appearing to be slightly confused by the change of topic. "Everyone always say to do what you really like...what you're good at. But, you know, maybe I could be good at this. Making you happy." He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm going to; I promise." Her eyes had grown even larger during his speech. It was strange, he thought, for him to be doing all the talking while Rachel remained silent.

Taking a deep breath, she took his hand and tucked it beneath her chin. "You already do."

He grinned and felt the last of his stress melt away. It was nice, he thought, to finally do something right. He made Rachel happy--she'd said so herself.

"I almost forgot!" He removed a thin, gift-wrapped box from his coat pocket.

"Finn, you didn't have to get me anything!"

"I didn't?" Finn's brows drew together. Had he gotten that wrong? Weren't you supposed to get a present for your girlfriend on Valentine's Day?

Rachel must have sensed his confusion. "I just meant that being together is all I wanted." She smirked. "But...I have something for you, too." She pulled a small package from her bag.

He grinned like a kid on Christmas morning as he tore off the wrapping paper. Finn stared at the CD in his hands, his face erupting in a grin as he saw himself and Rachel on the cover. He didn't remember this picture, but it had clearly been taken while they'd been performing. It must have been during "Somebody to Love;" he and Rachel were reaching for one another, their fingers inches part. Their images were in black and white, but shades of blue had been layered over it. It was incredibly cheesy. And also insanely awesome.

"It's us. New Directions' Greatest Hits," she announced, grabbing the CD and turning it over to show him the track list.

"How'd you do this?"

"I asked Mr. Schue to record some of our rehearsals and performances, including--"

"The winter concert," he finished, his eyes glued to hers. Preparing their duet, "Baby, It's Cold Outside," for that show had given Finn the opportunity he'd needed to win Rachel over. He couldn't wait to put the songs on his iPod. "Rachel, this is amazing!"

She beamed at him. "The auditorium has great acoustics, so we sound amazing. I put it everything together on my computer. I also recorded a few solos," she added.

Finn laughed. That was his girl. His brows shot up as he read the list of _Rachel Berry Bonus Track_s. "Whoa!" He glanced up at her expectant face. "This is the best gift ever! You covered Patti Smith, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner..."

"This is is the music you love, so I wanted to give it a try." Rachel chuckled. "And look. Not even one show tune!" she finished proudly.

"Show tunes aren't so bad," Finn replied, fighting a grin. He nodded toward the unopened gift on her lap. "Your turn."

"Finn, you didn't have to do this. Taking me to dinner was enough." He knew that she felt guilty because he'd spent money on her.

"Well, I wanted to get you something," Finn added firmly. "I meant what I said when I finally wore you down that day in the auditorium, and you gave me another chance."

Rachel arched a brow at him. "You wore me down? How romantic!"

"I just mean that I am going to have the guts to go after what I want. I want you."

Her lips twitched. "You have me. Have you forgotten already?" Rachel moved her hands slowly down his chest as her lips hovered just above his. He could feel her warm breath coming out in pants against his mouth. "I guess I'll just have to work harder to make our time together more memorable," she added, her voice deeper than usual. Wow. Just _wow_. She sounded so sexy, like she'd just woken up._ In bed. _He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep, calming breath. It was no use; Rachel was already there in his mind, waiting for him. She was lying in her bed wearing a red McKinley High football jersey. _His jersey._ It practically swallowed up her entire body, but the bottom had ridden up high on her thighs while she'd slept. Her hair was all messy and wild across the pillow, like it never was during the day. She began to stretch, slowly, and opened her eyes, sending him a lazy smile. Then, she reached her arms out to him and--

"Oh!"

He blinked, focusing on Rachel's suddenly flushed face and large, unblinking eyes as she pulled back. Oh, crap. She'd felt it _move_. Breaking eye contact, he choked out a pathetic apology. Awkwardly, he reached around her and grabbed a glass of water and shakily brought it to his lips.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, you know." She licked her lips. Finn wished she wouldn't do that at the moment. "It's perfectly natural to have those reactions, Finn. I like that I can make you feel that way." She rested her forehead against his. "Besides, I'm getting used to it," she added with a smug grin.

Finn released a tense breath, trying to get himself under control. "Good, because it's probably not going to stop any time soon." He shot her an accusing look. Her smile just widened. "What were we taking about?"

"About you not having to buy me presents...?"

"Oh, right!" Finn shook his his head in an effort to focus. "Rachel, you were right back when you said that I needed to put in the effort to get you back in my life. I don't want to forget that just because we're together now. It's just, well, you're still worth the effort." She blinked at him with those amazing brown eyes, but again, seemed unable to speak. Finn had finally figured it out: say more and Rachel will say less. _Huh_. "So, are you going to open it?"

Her face lit and she tore into the paper, clearly unconcerned with saving the wrapping. He laughed at her enthusiasm. In her hand lie a small, thin envelope with a clear, plastic window. Her eyes widened, clearly realizing what she would find inside. With a squeal, she opened the envelope and pulled out two tickets.

"Finn! _West Side Story_? How...I mean...I can't believe it!" Rachel bounced in his lap, causing Finn's eyes to cross in a combination of pleasure and pain. Suddenly, a crinkle formed between her brows. "How is this possible? The national tour does not even start until later this year."

"Look closely at the tickets," he suggested, trying to keep a straight face.

"The Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway..." Her head shot up, clearly unable to believe the words in front of her. "New York? We're...we're going to New York?"

"I guess you like your present then?"

"Oh my God!" Rachel threw her arms around his neck. Her shout attracted the attention of every person in the restaurant and possibly several outside on the street. He just lifted his hand in an awkward wave and turned his attention back to the girl in his arms. Finn was pretty sure she was squeezing hard enough to suffocate him, but with Rachel pressed so tightly against him in all the right places, he figured it was a hell of a way to go. Luckily, she drew back before causing any permanent damage. "Finn, I absolutely love that you thought of doing this for me, but...how can this possibly work?"

"What do you mean?"

"What about school? Where will we stay? How will we get there? How will we get our parents to agree? How--?"

"Whoa, whoa!" Shaking his head as he tried to keep up with her endless list of questions, Finn couldn't help thinking how cute Rachel looked when she rambled. He kissed her firmly on the lips. "All taken care of. We're going next week when school's closed for February break."

Still unconvinced, she bit her lip. "Finn...I don't want to sound ungrateful, but how can you afford everything?"

"Well, I saved up for the tickets. Unfortunately, I could save for the next five years and still not be able to pay for a week in a New York City hotel." He shrugged regretfully. "So, we'll be staying with my mom's Aunt Ellie in Hoboken."

"Hoboken?"

"Yeah, in New Jersey. But, it's like, a fifteen-minute train ride into the city. I totally wish we could do the hotel thing...I mean, I really wish we could," he added, sending her a wicked grin. She laughed and slapped him lightly on his shoulder. "So, yeah, Aunt Ellie has been wanting me to visit since she moved a couple of years ago, so she was psyched when I asked her about us coming to stay. She blasts the TV when she forgets her hearing aid, but she's pretty cool. I mean, we'll probably have to eat dinner with her a couple of times and look through her picture albums and stuff, but I figure its worth it."

"How will we get there?"

At this, he grinned widely. "We're flying. It'll be my first time on a plane!"

Rachel rolled her eyes indulgently at his obvious excitement. "Um, Finn...?"

"Don't worry, my mom helped me out there. She's been paying bills with credit cards for a few years, so she's got a bunch of airline reward miles." He frowned a bit, then shrugged. "I mean, now the credit cards are maxed out, but she said that we should, you know, use the miles since she has them anyway."

"So, obviously your mom is on board with the trip. I hope my dads are as easy to convince."

"They weren't." He shook his head at the memory.

"You talked to them already?" This seemed to stun her most.

"Yup. I explained everything and then my mom told them that Aunt Ellie would be the perfect chaperone. They even spoke to Aunt Ellie on the phone. Finally, they agreed." He winced. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I promised to not touch you the whole time we're gone, but I think I can manage that." He nodded, trying to convince her. _And_ himself.

Rachel burst out laughing. "Oh, please!"

"What? One of your dads threatened me with his golf clubs if I got out of line!" He tilted his head. "Or did he say that I wouldn't be able to ever get _into_ his golf club? I was having hard time keeping up with everything."

Rachel just howled louder. "F--Finn! W--well, Daddy does have some pull at the Lakeview C--country Club, so I'd be careful if I were you," she choked out in between giggles.

"I love you."

In a flash, Rachel's entire face froze. _Oh God_. Had he actually said that out-loud? What the hell was the matter with him? His mom said that the filter from his brain to his mouth sometimes malfunctioned and he just blurted out what he was thinking. Clearly, this was one of those times.

"Rachel, um, I--"

"Wait," Rachel screeched, clapping a hand over his mouth. Her eyes were wide and anxious. "Before you say anything, take a minute, okay?" He nodded, her hand still covering his lips. "If you said...that...accidentally or if--if you meant it some other way, I'll understand. I know that you sometimes say things without thinking them through--"

"Wachoo--" Her name was muffled by the hand covering his mouth.

"I just want to make sure that the first time I hear those words that they're real and not a mistake--"

"Wachoo--" How could he get her to stop?

"So if--_ew_! Did you just lick my hand?"

His shoulders began to shake uncontrollably. With her wide eyes and open mouth, she looked like that singing fish that Coach Tanaka had hanging in his office. Of course, Rachel was now looking at him like he was insane, but at least she was no longer babbling.

"Are you crazy?"

Finn took several deep breaths to calm down. "Maybe. I think that's one more reason we're so good together." At her death glare, he took her hands in his. "Rachel, I just wanted to stop you so that I could get a word in, okay?"

She huffed and crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "Proceed with extreme caution, Finn."

"I know we've only been together for two months, but I...well, you know..."

"You what?" Rachel looked like she was biting her lip to keep form breaking out into a grin. Seeing her glowing eyes and pouty lower lip between her teeth, Finn felt his chest tighten. She wanted to hear it, he knew. As terrifying as it was to say the words, Finn knew that he could trust her with his heart. It wasn't as if he really had a choice; it was already hers.

"I am totally in love with you."

She didn't cry this time. Instead, her smile grew so wide she looked like one of those crazy cartoon drawings of famous people, like President Obama with ears like Dumbo or that Leno guy with a potato chin. Finn grinned back, knowing she'd never been more beautiful.

"Finn, I love you, too--_oof_." His lips latched onto hers before she could finish getting the words out.

Rachel pulled back. Panting heavily, she placed both hands on Finn's chest to steady herself. "Finn, exactly _how_ bad is your aunt's hearing?"

Oh, yeah. He loved this girl.


End file.
